


Valentine's Day

by PropertyOfThaJoker



Series: Calendar [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Kitten, Pets, Snow, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 04:37:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14205231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PropertyOfThaJoker/pseuds/PropertyOfThaJoker
Summary: “What is it?”Rey’s eyes were the brightest, happiest that he had ever seen them. “It’s a kitten!” Ben followed, also bending down to look. There it was: a crying, tiny kitten. Long orange fur and little blue eyes. “Come here,” Rey said softly, holding out her gloved hands. “I won’t hurt you.”“He’s scared. He’s not going to-”The cat immediately came to Rey, who immediately held it. “He can’t be more than five weeks old, Ben. He’s a baby. It’s cold out here – he’ll freeze to death. We have to take him home.”





	Valentine's Day

Other professors were starting to notice Rey and Ben’s affection toward one another. Rey didn’t appear to be bothered, knowing that there was nothing against this at their respective levels, but Ben…   
  
“She’s not a child, Armie,” Ben said, sliding his laptop into his bag. “She’s an adult. She can make up her own mind about… whatever she does.”   
  
“And that ‘what’ is you, correct?” his redheaded colleague asked. “Oh, Ben. I never would have pegged you as the one to fall for a student. Mitaka, of course, but you-”

“That’s enough. I will not have you berate me over something that is completely okay according to the rules.”

* * *

 

“I just… I hate when anyone suggests that you’re a child!” he said angrily, walking back and forth in his kitchen, his head in his hands. Rey was standing at the sink peeling carrots. “Like I’m some kind of pedophile.”   
  
“You’re not a pedophile,” Rey said, smirking. “It’s ten years, Ben.”  
  
“Ten years! Ten years! I was nineteen, drinking way too much and partying my ass off at Brown, and you were nine years old, probably in bed by ten!”

“If you had seen me then, you wouldn’t have wanted to be with me, therefore, you are not a pedophile.” She turned on the disposal, the sound was making Ben even more frustrated. “I am an adult, in an adult body, quite obviously.”   
  
“I don’t like them talking about you like that. It makes me feel weird,” he whined.  
  
“Well, get over it, because as long as you’re in that department, this is going to happen.” Rey turned off the disposal, put her knife down and walked toward him. “And besides,” she whispered once she approached him, “I bet they’re all jealous, thinking we do some freaky professor/student roleplay.”   
  
That got a smirk from him. “Would you like to do that? I’ve always thought about it but thought it might be too on the nose.”   
  
She shrugged, the oven indicating that it was ready for the roast. “We’ll see, but right now I need to make sure this roast gets in the oven. It should be ready in a few hours.”

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle as she threw the carrots into the pot.  “What do you want to do for Valentine’s Day?”

“Absolutely nothing,” she replied flatly. “You already took me to Florida.”   
  
He let go of her when she had the roast ready to cook. “But it’s Valentine’s Day, Rey. We have to do something.” She looked so cute leaning over to open the over door, sliding the dutch oven inside. “Dinner somewhere new, maybe?”

Rey shut the oven, turning around. “You spend way too much money on me.”  
  
“I told you once and I’ll tell you again, I don’t write YA for nothing,” Ben answered. “I have the money, let me spend it on you.” She pulled off the apron and hung it up in the pantry.   
  
“'Because I can’ is not an excuse to spend money. I own over half of a successful scotch distillery and I don’t go spending money just because I can.” He could tell that she was wholly serious. 

Ben smiled – he had an idea. “Dinner here, then? I’ll cook.”   
  
Rey chuckled, shaking her head. “Alright.”   
  
“I’m serious,” Ben replied, taking her hands in his. “No take-out containers – I swear.” 

She smiled, shrugging. “I believe you. And a movie in.” She set the timer for the roast before saying anything else. “Maybe I’ll wear something sexy-”  
  
“In Maine? In February? You’ll freeze, even inside.”   
  
Rey rolled her eyes. “You didn’t let me finish.” There was a glint in her eyes that he was familiar with. “Maybe I’ll wear something sexy underneath.”   
  
Ben began to nod. “That works."

* * *

 

The big day finally arrived – Valentine’s Day. But…

Snow. This time the storm was so big that classes were cancelled, and rarely ever were classes cancelled. And…  
  
Rey was at her house, not his. _Fuck._

“You’re getting a new car,” he said as he placed his iPad upright on his stomach. “You can’t drive around rural Maine in a coupe all year round, not safely, at least.”  
  
“What do you want me to drive, then, Ben?” she was looking back at him on the screen. “I’m not a minivan mama.”   
  
“A what?” he asked and laughed. “A minivan mama?” He laughed again, putting his coffee cup down. “Do you want to be a minivan mama?”   
  
“Not in the near future,” Rey immediately replied. “I don’t ever want a minivan, actually.”  
  
Ben looked at her lovingly. “You’ve thought about this?”  
  
She nodded. “Of course.” He could tell she was carrying her phone through the house. “Well, it looks like our plans are shot.”

“Not completely. I could come get you. I have things to cook here, just not what I’d planned. I keep a chuck roast on hand at all times for you now, you know.” Ben watched as she smiled, tilting her head to the side. “I can cook the famous Rey’s Roast.” 

“How are you going to come get me? Also, there’s no way you can beat mine.”   
  
Ben took another sip of the coffee, looking at the edge of his bed and suddenly wishing that he had some sort of animal. “I drive a Jeep, I can call the city and pay them to scrape my driveway, and maybe it won’t be the same kind of roast as yours. Aldi’s on the way home, we can stop there to get a few things.”   
  
Rey was in her kitchen now, brewing tea. “When should I expect my knight in shining armor?”   
  
He smirked. “Give me two hours, princess.”

* * *

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said as she opened the door that led to her garage, which Ben knew the code to and had already come in. “Classes are cancelled again tomorrow, if you haven’t seen the email.”   
  
Ben quirked a brow. “The administration has no idea that they’ve contributed to a professor banging his student all night, do they?”   
  
“There’s no way that Hux hasn’t told at least someone close to President Howler.”   
  
He shrugged, kicking his boots on the stairs before meeting her where she stood. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he said, taking her into his arms and kissing her.

* * *

 

There was no longer a point in Rey packing a bag. She had two of everything now: one for her house and one for his. As they combed the aisles of Aldi, Rey began throwing in things they’d need. “Rosemary is essential to the roast,” she said, grabbing a package of sprigs. “And little potatoes, carrots, onions…” She paused, putting her hand on the cart. “Do you get sick of roasts? I make one every two weeks, and in this case, you’re having two in a week’s time.”  
  
He shook his head. “Maybe there will come a day where I do, but today is not that day.”   
  
“You’re just happy that someone cooks for you,” she added, putting the rest of the ingredients in the cart. “And you have a roast in the fridge?”  
  
“Always,” he said, chuckling. Suddenly, his expression changed. “Jesus Christ.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Look! It’s the lovebirds!” Armie Hux came striding toward them. “How are you two?”   
  
“Doing just fine,” Rey said, standing up straight as an arrow. “We’re getting a few things to cook dinner. Our plans were wrecked with the weather.”   
  
Hux smirked, looking at Ben knowingly. “She cooks for you, too? Wow, Ben. You really did hit the jackpot-”  
  
“Why do you care so much?” Rey asked. Ben’s eyes widened, turning to look at her.   
  
Hux looked stunned. “I don’t. I just-”  
  
“You just what?” Rey waited for a response.   
  
“Nothing,” Hux replied, stiffening up. “See you all on the sixteenth, or whenever we end up going back.”   
  
As he walked away, Rey went back to her usual posture. “I didn’t even get a word in,” Ben said.   
  
“Did I offend you? I’m sorry, I’m just protective.”   
  
He shook his head ‘no’. “It was honestly quite hot.”

* * *

They checked out and headed toward the Jeep to load their groceries. 

“Rey, is there something under the Jeep?” he asked as they neared the vehicle. “You don’t think Hux tried…”  
  
“He’s annoying, not stupid,” Rey replied. Once they got closer to the car, Rey bent down to see what was under the car. “Ben!”   
  
“What is it?”  
  
Rey’s eyes were the brightest, happiest that he had ever seen them. “It’s a kitten!” Ben followed, also bending down to look. There it was: a crying, tiny kitten. Long orange fur and little blue eyes. “Come here,” Rey said softly, holding out her gloved hands. “I won’t hurt you.”   
  
“He’s scared. He’s not going to-”  
  
The cat immediately came to Rey, who immediately held it. “He can’t be more than five weeks old, Ben. He’s a baby. It’s cold out here – he’ll freeze to death. We have to take him home.”   
  
Watching Rey tuck the cat inside of her coat to keep it warm was about the cutest thing he’d ever seen. “We’ll stop at Pet Smart on the way home.” Rey was still smiling, looking down at the kitten. “Be careful with him. He could have fleas or rabies or something.”   
  
Rey shook her head, watching as Ben put the groceries in the car. When the kitten mewled again, she quickly got in the car.

“You don’t have fleas or rabies, do you, little thing?” The cat seemed to appreciate being in Rey’s coat. “Daddy’s going to go to Pet Smart and get you what you need.”  
  
“Daddy?” Ben asked as he got in the car. “Did you just refer to me as ‘daddy’, but for the cat?”   
  
“Yes,” she said, looking down at the kitten.   
  
“I never said we were keeping him,” he replied quietly. “I mean, you can if you want, but I didn’t come to the grocery store with a plan to bring home a pet.” He watched as Rey affectionately looked at the kitten. “Okay, mama. On to find the little guy some necessities.”

* * *

They were home at last, and Ben was tasked with getting the kitten’s things set up as Rey cooked. “The lady at the store said that you’re going to like this Cat Sip stuff,” Ben said to the orange ball of fluff as he poured some into a very tiny bowl. He watched as the kitten immediately started lapping it up. He’d bought a bed, a food bowl that matched the water bowl, a small litter box, liners, litter, a scoop…

He’d spent over one hundred dollars on this little thing that he would have run over had it not been for Rey spotting it.   
  
But it was awfully cute.

* * *

Rey and Ben took turns holding the kitten as dinner cooked. They had attempted kissing, but the little fluff had come to sit on Rey’s neck in the process. “Ben!” she said as they were both tickled by the cat.   
  
“If he interrupts sex, he’s not staying,” Ben said, lifting up. “We’ll lock him in the laundry room tonight.”

“Ben! We can’t lock him in your cold laundry room. He needs to stay with us. I’ll take him back home with me once the storm is over. I swear.”   
  
Ben sighed. “I never said I had a problem with the cat.”   
  
Rey snarled. “You just said you wouldn’t keep him if he interrupted sex.” He sat up, looking down at the little thing as Rey carefully held him in her arms. Watching her hold the kitten, loving on it, was doing things to him. “Look how cute he is, Ben.”   
  
The kitten was looking right at him with those blue eyes. “Fuck.”   
  
Rey smiled. 

* * *

 

Sunlight roused Ben from his sleep. Rey’s naked form was half on top of his, her snores light. He smirked, gently moving her off of him so he could go to the bathroom.

As he stood at the toilet, he thought about how cute Rey had looked with the kitten, how she’d kissed its head before she put it in the cat bed. She even put a clock in the bed, saying it would remind the kitten of his mother’s heartbeat, helping him sleep. He stepped into the closet, grabbing a pair of sleep pants and quickly putting them on. Walking out of the closet, Ben spotted the kitten’s eyes open, looking at him. “What?” he whispered.   
  
The kitten mewled, and Ben, in his desire to let Rey sleep, picked up the kitten, holding it to his chest. The kitten stopped his crying, and Ben walked toward the bed, slipping back in with the kitten in hand. Settling in under the covers, he put the kitten in the crook of his arm.   
  
“Good morning,” Rey whispered, her eyes still closed.

“You should sleep more. You were _busy_ last night.” He couldn’t help but think that she’d been extra giving in bed the night before because she was scared that he didn’t approve of the kitten. Not that she normally wasn’t giving, but every position had been a selection from his favorites, and she’d even made him pull out so that she could ‘taste herself’ before quickly going back in. And she’d been very _vocal_. They probably traumatized the poor cat.

Rey opened her eyes fully, spotting the kitten at his arm. “Hi, angel,” she said in a baby voice, kissing the top of the cat’s head.   
  
“The fluff gets a kiss before me?” he asked jokingly.   
  
Rey smiled and sat up to kiss him properly. Pulling away, she leaned against him. “What’s this?”  
  
“Little guy yelled at me for waking him up when I left the closet,” Ben said softly, petting the cat’s head. “I thought I’d try and make it up to him.”

Rey looked like she was on the verge of crying happy tears as she kissed the cat’s head again. “Daddy likes you, little guy,” she said, petting down the kitten’s extremely small body.   
  
“How am I this cat’s dad? Also, how do you know he’s a boy?” he asked as Rey took the kitten from him.  
  
“Just a feeling.” She started scratching underneath the cat’s chin, and to be so small, the little thing sure could purr. “And I think that’s what most people do with their pets, isn’t it? Especially if they’re a couple with no children,” Rey said as she quit scratching him. “Do you not want to be his daddy?”  
  
“No, no. I don’t have a problem with it, I just…” He paused, taking the little guy in his hands. “I don’t know. I just figured that the first time I would be called ‘daddy’ in a non-sexual way would be with our children.”

Rey didn’t mention hearing ‘our’ when he probably thought he said ‘my’. “I said ‘our’ Rey,” he added, as if reading her mind. “I know it’s a while away, but I’ve already told you this: it’s you.” She pulled him down to kiss her, and it didn’t take long for things to get heated. The kitten mewled after about a minute of their kissing. “Are you not getting enough attention, big guy?” Ben asked, taking the cat from Rey, kissing its left ear. “Aldi.”   
  
“What about it?” Rey asked, sitting up.   
  
“That’s his name: Aldi. Al for short.”   
  
She giggled in response, watching Ben’s eyes as he stared at the kitten. “Al Solo.”


End file.
